Ranma 1/2 - The Call of the Blade
by StarArcher
Summary: A newcomer to Nerima seeks out Ranma Saotome, but why? Parts 1 and 2 are up. No ETA on Pt. 3 yet, gomen nasai...
1. A Call to Arms

Ranma 1/2 - The Call of the Blade - Part 1, A Call to Arms  
  
A strange figure walks the moonlit streets of Nerima, Japan. No one's quite sure where he came from, but they're not surprised. Many strange people have been popping up in Nerima nowadays.  
  
He flows when he walks, moving with an almost unnatural grace and dignity. His face, save for his hazel eyes, lies concealed, hidden deep within his cloak's hood. Moving at a speed that sprinters would admire, his gaze seems to shift from sign to sign, along the street he walks on.  
  
The citizens of Nerima that are out at this time, those that see him anyways, resign themselves to his presence. 'Another one of those crazy martial artist types? They seem more and more frequent nowadays,' is the general though among the populace. They carry on with their business, though at a bit accelerated of a pace from before.  
  
The stranger stops in front of a building. A very familiar building, one that many others like him seem to be drawn to, like a moth to the flame. The Tendo Dojo.  
  
Throwing back his hood, he reveals a plain, yet strikingly handsome face, framed by a long, dark ponytail, with a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee to match. His hazel... no, now bright purple eyes seem to take on an intelligent shine without the cloak to mask them. Suddenly, his voice breaks through the silence of night.  
  
"RANMA SAOTOME..."  
  
'Uh oh... here comes the battle...' The citizens start to clear away, but are stopped by a phrase never before used to compliment that name in a sentence...  
  
"I NEED YOUR HELP!!"  
  
A/N and disclaimer: I don't own Ranma. I wish I did... truly I do... but I cannot claim that insanity. Oh well. *sigh* I do, however, own any newcomers that appear in this series, and this twisted concept. 


	2. To Know the True Man

Ranma Saotome awoke with a start. He'd swear he just heard someone challenge him, at this hour of the night. He was pissed that someone would wake him up in the middle of the night, just for some challenge they know they'll lose. And then, he heard those four words that seemed to startle everyone.  
  
"I need your help!"  
  
And startle he did. After determining that he was not hearing some challenge, he decided to get out of bed and see just what was going on. Rolling off the couch (his father had taken both futons...again), he quickly reached the front door, only to be greeted by a total stranger.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, but... do I know you?"  
  
He eyed the newcomer up and down. The man was a Westerner, obvious from his height, and facial features. He gazed into those poercing blue, sorry, green eyes, and saw a martial artist's mind behind them.  
  
"Ranma Saotome?" The newcomer had an almost desparate look in his eyes as he asked this. 'This guy must seriously want something,' thought Ranma.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ranma Saotome. What do you want?" Ranma had an almost intrigued note to his voice, buried amongst the annoyance of being so rudely awakened.  
  
"I need your help to... I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" The newcomer seemed genuinely concerned... almost. 'Well, at least he's a considerate jerk,' thought Ranma. "Of course you woke me up! It's the middle of the night! Jeez, some people..."  
  
"I'm sorry, I lose track of time sometimes, and forget what time it is..." The stranger had an apologetic tone as he mutters this.  
  
Ranma, still very annoyed, retorted with "Obviously. Now, what's this about needing my help?"  
  
The stranger looked worried for a brief moment, and replies "I can tell you in the morning, when you're a bit more... awake."  
  
Ranma smiled for a moment at that thought. "Alright, then. C'mon in, I'll let you crash on the couch."  
  
"Thank you most kindly. I'd be grateful to take you up on that offer, it's been a long while since I slept inside a shelter of any sort."  
  
"Okay. I'll be sure to get your name tomorrow, too." And with that, Ranma went back up the stairs to his room, leaving the newcomer to crash on the couch.  
  
That morning, the strange character is awoken to a scream.  
  
"AAAAAAAAIIIIEEE! There's some strange man on the couch! Ranma, get rid of him!"  
  
The stranger bolted upright, assesing the situation. 'One potential threat, to the right, about 5 feet away. Short haired female, seems afraid. Of what? Oh... my presence must have startled her. Introduction is in order'  
  
The stranger stands up, his gray eyes flashing. As Ranma walks in, he sees the stranger making himself look presentable, pulling his hair back into the same tight ponytail from the night before, smoothing his facial hair, and turning to face Ranma and Akane.  
  
"I apologize for my lack of introduction when we first met. My name is Arthur DeLacey, and as you can probably tell, I am a Westerner." Arthur then reached into his cloak, and pulled out a short sword. Ranma seems a bit startled by this, as there wasn't a sword in there earlier.  
  
Arthur stood tall for a moment, as he crisply saluted Ranma with the blade, and took up a fighting stance. "Just to be sure I have the right man, I must challenge you. Honestly, I think the real Ranma Saotome is the only one who could disarm the Heroic Blade. Now, En Garde!" With that Arthur leapt high into the air, sending down a shower of throwing knives. Ranma swings clear of their path, and blocks Arthur's dropping slash.  
  
"Very good, you're fast proving yourself. Now, let's see some of your famous techniques" Ranma finally recognizes Arthur as a threat, and adopts a fighting stance, while moving in with the Amagouriken. Arthur sheaths the sword back into the cape, and pulls out a new blade, this time a rapier, as he shifts his weight backwards, calling out "Unstoppable Odds Defense!" Not one of Ranma's punches gets to their target, all having been deflected by Arthur's blade.  
  
Arthur smiles for a moment, bringing his rapier parallel to the ground, his arm coiled back like a viper. "Just two more trials, and you'll have disarmed the Heroic Blade for sure. The first task is to defend yourself from this... Point Strike!" As the grinning form of Arthur calmly says this, he launches into an attack that is almost identical to the Amagouriken, only with a sword in hand. Ranma barely dodges the strikes. Arthur stops, swapping his one rapier for a pair of claymores, as Ranma starts to get really pissed off.  
  
"I'm through with your little games. Take this! Hiryuu Shouten Ha!" As the attack flies straight at Arthur, he levels his swords to strike, and charges straight on at the attack. Bringing his swords above his head in another leap-slash, he calls out "Dragonslayer Slash!" He drops down, and stops the attack, neatly slicing through the energy.  
  
"Last trial, Ranma. Get ready..." Arthur sheaths the claymores in his cloak, and stands there, his hands empty, and open. As he closes his eyes, he softly whispers, though what he says is audible for miles around. "Secret Fist."  
  
Arthur's hands move with their usual unnatural grace, and grab for... his water bottle? He squeezes the bottle, spraying Ranma with the cold water. When he opens his eyes, he sees a dripping wet Ranma-chan standing there, a death glare in her eyes.  
  
"Ranma, you survived it. You are a true master of the Anything Goes martial art." Arthur bows to Ranma, and continues speaking. "As I was saying, I need..." He was cut off by a female voice, shouting.  
  
"You need a coroner, that's what you need!" With that, a fireball the size of a small car goes flying into the ground where Arthur was. As arthur stops running, he sees Ranma stading there, looking upset.  
  
"Is that what you need my help with? Go back there and fight her!"  
  
Arthur looks at Ranma with a sad look in his eyes. "I can't."  
  
Ranma, now both angry AND confused, aska "Why the hell not?"  
  
"It is against the discipline of the Heroic Blade to hit any female."  
  
A/N and Disclaimer: I own nothing of Ranma, all I own here is Arthur, and the storyline. Yes, I know, Arthur is a bit of a weirdo. I like him, personally. I'm also in the market for a beta-reader for this fic, so if you're interested, drop me an email at gryffindorarcher@yahoo.com  
And, remember, I like reviews. More reviews may inspire me to post more parts faster. So, please review. That's all for now. Ciao!  
  
~Gryff 


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